Many homeowners start out their home remodel in high spirits. Your home can be the ultimate blank slate, each area of your living space a blank canvas. Of course, that boundless potential also contains the seeds of stress; when your options are unlimited, how do you begin to cut things down to size? Few things can bring your momentum to a grinding halt faster than having to choose a color palette for your project, but choose you must. ArDan has some simple tips from our experience as a painting contractor that can make that choice (slightly) easier.
What may surprise you is that many of the points we’ll be covering below are only tangentially about color. Light, geometry, décor choices, and utility all play their part here. Let’s break this down.

Sequence

Your color choices should come very early in the process of planning a remodel. The colors of your walls, ceiling, and trim don’t exist on their own, after all. They need to work in tandem with your furniture, countertops, appliances, and fixtures. You can still change your mind later, but having an idea in mind can help your color choices tie the project together.

Light

Natural light is one of the greatest assets in a designer’s toolbox. Good sunlight makes a space warmer, both literally and psychologically. It also gives you more flexibility in terms of color choices, since a room with good light can take a darker color without seeming cramped, or can make bolder, brighter colors pop. Pay attention to the amount and quality of light at different times of day.

Floor Plan

If you’re sticking to a classic design with many discrete rooms, it’s easier to get a bit creative with your color choices. That way, the vibrant colors in your kids’ bedrooms won’t clash with the more subdued tones you might like for your own bedroom, or the muted shades you might choose for a bathroom.
Open plan designs require a bit more thought. When you can stand in your front foyer and see your living room, dining room, and kitchen all at once, you may choose different colors for each space to delineate their different purposes; this keeps the open plan from looking like one big box. However, you should also pay attention to color theory in order to ensure that the colors harmonize with one another.

Décor

Some of us like a minimalist approach that’s light and airy. Others have accumulated a lot of artwork, knick-knacks, and collectables over the years that needs custom cabinetry to showcase it. There are two different possibilities here. Plain white, or an off-white with just a tinge of color, keeps the attention on your décor instead of the walls. On the other hand, if you have a thematic focus or something you’d really like to set off — a specific color scheme or accent color in your living room furniture, the Jadeite collection in your kitchen — you may choose a color with that in mind.

Space

Something else to keep in mind is the amount of space — both actual and perceived — you have in any given room. Darker colors can make a room look smaller, as can accent walls. Certain colors may connote energy, quiet, or calm, and can either make a space seem cozier than it is, or open up even a cramped space.